Baby Sunbonnet

A few months ago, I designed a Sherpa-lined Winter Baby Bonnet to protect my infant daughter from the hibernal elements. Now as the seasons are changing, I realize that my winter baby is, well, still a baby. She is still in need of a hat to protect her delicate skin, now, from the bright sun of these warmer days!

But, I’ll admit, that when designing this Baby Sunbonnet, I had more than just practicality in mind. I’m a sucker for a baby in a classic bonnet! I love how the visor and chin ties create the perfect silhouette, allowing just her chubby cheeks to peak out. And, in Liberty of London prints, these hats are as timeless as they are sweet.

Because they don’t stay babies forever, our free Baby Sunbonnet pattern is available in sizes 0–24 months. So, no matter if your little one is big enough to toddle around this spring or is still just snuggled in your arms, she’ll look good doing it. Oh, and the sun will be out of her eyes too. – Corinne

Sizes

0-3 (3-6, 6-12, 12-18, 18-24) months

Notes

To print the PDF template, be sure to first download the pattern and then print it. This means rather than simply clicking the link and opening the PDF in a browser window, you should click on the pattern link using the “right click” or “control click” option on your mouse or keyboard. This will give you the option to “Download the linked file.” Once the file is downloaded, it should print like a charm!

Prewash all fabrics before starting.

Use ¼-inch seam allowances unless otherwise noted.

Pattern

Cut

Use the prepared template to cut one Visor from the Outer Fabric, the Lining Fabric and the Interfacing.

Use the prepared template to cut two Hat Sides from both the Outer Fabric and the Lining Fabric. Cut one Hat Side with the right side of the fabric facing up and one with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. The two Hat Sides from the same fabric should be mirror images of each other.

From the Outer Fabric, cut two rectangles 1 1/8 inch wide and at least 12 inches long. These will be the Ties. The longer you cut the rectangles, the longer the Ties will be.

Piece the Outer Hat

Note: For this section use only the Outer Fabric pieces.

With right sides facing, pin one long edge of the large rectangle to the long outside curve of one of the Hat Sides. It can be tricky to keep curved seams wrinkle-free, so use a lot of pins to ensure that the seam will come out un-puckered and smooth. Sew around the pinned curve. This is a Side Seam.

Cut notches in the seam allowance along the curve.

Repeat with the other Hat Side and the other long side of the rectangle for the second Side Seam.

This is the Outer Hat.

With right sides facing, line up the straight edge of the Visor with the straight front edge of the Outer Hat. Pin in place.

Sew along the pinned edge.

Press the seam towards the Outer Hat.

Prepare the Lining Visor

Trim off ¼ inch from the straight edge of the Interfacing Visor.

Line up the trimmed, straight edge of the Interfacing Visor with the straight edge of the Lining Fabric Visor.

Fuse in place following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Piece the Lining

Note: For this section use only the Lining Fabric pieces.

Piece the Hat Sides, Rectangle and Visor in the same way that you pieced the Outer Hat.

This is the Lining.

Make and Attach the Ties

Using the two small rectangles of Outer Fabric and the 12mm bias tape maker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make two single fold strips of tape.

Fold each piece in half lengthwise, press and edgestitch along the long open sides.

At one end of each strip, tie a small knot to finish the ends.

These are the Ties.

Pin the short raw edge of a Tie to the raw neck edge of the Outer Hat at the Visor seam.

Sew in place with a 1/8-inch seam allowance.

Repeat with the other Tie on the other side of the Outer Hat.

Attach the Outer Hat and Lining

With right sides together, slide the Lining inside the Outer Hat. Pin the pieces together along all edges, making sure the Ties are tucked between the layers.

Sew around the pinned edge, leaving the end of the rectangle at the nape of the neck open. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Pull the Hat right side out through the unsewn gap. Press the edge flat.

Finish

Sew the gap at the nape of the neck closed using a ladder stitch. For detailed instructions and photographs, please check out the Winter Baby Bonnet project here and scroll down to the “Finish” section.

Fold one Side Seam at the nape of the neck towards the Visor ¼ inch so it makes a small pucker. Hand sew the fold using a slip stitch and work from the neck edge up ¼ inch.

349 Responses to Baby Sunbonnet

I love this bonnet.
I have found that the given measurement for the middle rectangle piece is TOO LONG.
So, when I reduce the length of that rectangle by one inch on the largest size it then fits the bonnet side pieces.
So for the 18-24 months I reduced the length from 12 3/4 inches down to 11 3/4 inches and it worked out to fit better.
Thanks for a lovely pattern.

Thanks for sharing your experience! We have made several of the large and found that the middle rectangle worked for us but we are all individuals and different things work for each of us! We are sure that others will appreciate your experience!

Hi
Absolutely love this bonnet and have made it for my grandaughter but my niece would love one for her 2-3 year old, would you have any suggestion on the sizing to make the pattern bigger
Many thanks
Fiona

Thanks for writing in! At present we only have this pattern available in 0-3 (3-6, 6-12, 12-18, 18-24) months. Corinne has recommended trying adding a little bit of length to the largest size, as well as to the front edge (maybe around 1/4 inch for each). With these changes, you will also want to add about 1/2 inch to the length of the center rectangle.

Hello. I thought to sew this hood, but I do not understand the unit of measurement. I’m used to measuring in centimeters. Can I ask to get the measurements on the rectangle in cm? Thank you for the pattern. gorgeous hat!

Thank you! Sorry for my english. I have printed out the template, but the one rectangle part was not included. This you give the measurement on your site, but because I use centimeter, I dont understand the size on the middle part.

When I need to translate a pattern from metric to US imperial, I like to use Google’s conversion tools. I type “convert cm to inches” into Google and a purpose built calculator will appear. You can certainly do the same thing in reverse to convert all of the measurements you seek into metric!

Thank you for your kind words! I am not sure what a bonnet without the visor would look like. We’ve never tried it! If you are looking for a baby hat without a visor, you might want to check out out Winter Baby Bonnet. You could line it with a lawn and use interfacing to give it body.

Congratulations! We love the reversibility of this cute hat pattern. We’ve made it in Liberty of London (we’re so in love!) paired with the Cambridge Lawn from Robert Kaufman (which matches the weight of Liberty of London perfectly!). If you’d like to highlight the reversibility, try pairing two Liberty of London patterns.

Thanks so much for this pattern! I am a new sewer and am excited to experiment with this! I was hoping to make a classic (brimless style) bonnet. Could I just leave the brim off and then add bias tape to finish off the edges? Would I need to change the shape of the bonnet or just leave it as is? Thanks so much for your help!

Thank you for your kind words! I am not sure what this bonnet would look like without the visor. We’ve never tried it! If you are looking for a baby hat without a visor, you might want to check out out Winter Baby Bonnet. You could line it with a lawn and use interfacing to give it body.

Thanks for writing in! For this lovely little bonnet, we used interfacing only for the visor to help keep its shape. The Body of the hat really does not need it as wearing the bonnet maintains the shape while on the head and keeps it soft and pliable! You can certainly add interfacing to the body if you would like but we have not tested it out.